The girl from the bar couldn't be shaken from Hook's mind in matter how hard he tried, how hard he drank or or much he surrounded himself in gold. The sweet, innocent girl that stood in front of him just a night ago had marked herself in Hook's mind. It wasn't that she was beautiful and Hook had a lovers intention, no where near, it was Belle reminded him dramatically of his deceased soul mate Milah. Milah was just a innocent girl trapped in a unhappy marriage with a coward, in a boring life with hardly any love for her own son because of his farther. Milah caught Hook's eye the second she entered the bar, he felt like he wanted to share the world with her forever and in return, she felt the same. Little did Hook know that the coward that didn't fight for his wife would soon be The Dark One, Rumpelstiltskin. Rumpelstiltskin. That name boiled Hook's blood. "The crocodile." Hook forced the words through gritted teeth as he clenched his only hand. When Rumpelstiltskin found out where Hook was and when Milah was alive he ripped out Milah's heart and crushed it like a pile of dried mud, then took Hook's hand. It wasn't that Hook didn't believe that girls couldn't be pirates, Milah showed him that, but Hook wasn't ready to see another innocent girl's life be thrown away. Not Belle's, Belle had the fire in her heart for adventure just as Milah did. Hook knew that he would never develop feelings of love again, not until the crocodile was dead, so what was the true problem with letting another girl on? Hook would be over protective, though he would never let anyone figure it out, he would watch over and command other female crew-member like they were Milah; like he was getting a second chance.
Out of habit of thinking about her Hook's glaze turned to his tattoo of her name, the memory of them both getting each others name forever placed on their skin made Hook smile. He felt so honoured that Milah would ruin her perfect skin for a rundown pirate like him.
The day was young but Belle didn't want to sit inside the pub tonight, tonight she was feeling courageous - ready for a adventure. She held her book tight to her chest as her bag hung from her shoulder. She knew this small village like the book she held but her eyes wondered everywhere, hoping for a change, hoping for something to investigate but everything was the same. The morning birds flew through the streets as the they were shooed away by the bakers and towns people. Belle let her hands fall to her slide still holding on to her book, swaying her hands forward and back. A sweet, small smile appeared on Belle's features as she tucked her hair behind her ears, heading to the main part of the little town, the quiet village.
Everyone was saying good morning to each other as the shopkeepers began opening the doors and the stocking up for the day, a small sigh escaped Belle's lips for a moment - Every morning the same, Belle thought. "Morning Belle!" A rugged old man spoke, Belle only returned his kind jester with a grin and a simple nod. Belle continued to walk but she couldn't help but notice two old woman, uglier then mouldy bread, looking at her with scrunched up features - like they were confused by her. "She's a strange girl, that Belle." One if the old woman coughed out as Belle passed. Belle reached the middle of the town, a big fountain always surrounded by farm animals drinking from it, Belle sat upon one of the stones as she looked around again. "There must be more than this." Belle whispered to herself before opening her book again, it was on her favourite part where the young pirate Jim Hawkins finds all the treasure.
"Put that girl down." Hook demanded one of his crew. "I want to set sail within an hour and I don't want anything distracting you sea dogs." Hook grabbed his lazy crew member by the ear and pushed him on the dock, the crew member wobbled away as well as the flirtatious blonde. Hook's eyes scanned the village again, his thoughts only of the girl that he met last night, he expected her to appeased with a full bag and ignore everything Hook said. But instead of her finding him Hook caught sight of her, her bright blue dress reflected against the morning sun like a beckon and Hook couldn't stop his feet from almost running towards the girl.
Belle looked up from her book usually it make her happy but right now the only thing that brought her pleasure with the thing that was brining her pain - she envied Jim Hawkins. She slammed the book shut as she pushed herself up of the stoned fountain, nothing was going to happen but chance if all Belle did was sit and read. She began walking the way that she had came, towards the pub, maybe the pirates had returned again looking for a crew.
Hook saw the female walking away from him as he quicken his pace slightly but the morning rush to the market was enough even to stop Captain Hook. His walk came to a halt as he lost sight of Belle, panic filled his eyes as he forcefully pushed past the towns folk to the open road by but now Belle was long out of sight.
Belle's bag slipped off her shoulder in a hurried pace and fell to the floor pouring everything in her bag out. Belle rolled her eyes and she knelt down on the floor and scooped all he items back in her bag and as she look up, there he was. The hooked man. "Hey!" Belle cried out as she stood up straight again as she placed the last item in her bag. Hook spun on her heel to face the unknown voice he head heard, but when he saw it was her a smirk grew on his lips. "Are you following me?" He joked. Belle stopped up towards him, pointing her finger. "I may be a woman and never seen battle but that doesn't mean I can't look after myself and it certainly doesn't mean I'm useless."
"Oh really?" Hook replied, he was slightly angered by the tone of her voice. He didn't like to be yelled to, he wasn't used to it. There was a long moment of since between the two strangers before Hook snatched the book she held so tightly in her hand and moved his arm away from her. "I took your precious book."
"Give that back!" Belle took a few steps forwards reaching her arms out but Hook only stepped backwards. "What are you going to do about it?" Hook was testing her, but Belle was blinded by panic about her book to see. She leaned forward more to grab the book but he raised his hooked hand and pressed it upon her face. "You'd be dead, over a silly book... Because you can't take back what's yours." Hook said harshly, all the thoughts of Belle reminding him of Milah were flooding back in and Hook couldn't bare the to see her on his ship. He dropped the book, letting it fall to the floor, before whipping his hook away from her face, then a after a moment of pause he began walking away - back to ship - and lift the defeated dreamer standing there.
The Jolly Roger, Hook's ship, had been sailing for a very long time now as he left early morning and now the sun was setting. Hook was standing on the upper deck of the ship laughing at himself, laughing at the fact he was going to let the helpless girl on to the ship, he hid head in disbelief that he got himself wound up... Over a girl.
"Captain! Captain!" Smee cried as he raced up the steps of the deck, Hook rolled his eyes and his body tensed. This couldn't be good. "What?"
"You're..er...just come." Some raced back down the steps again and entered the captains cabin, Hook's interest became heighten that this trouble was happening in his cabin.
Hook swing the cabin doors open as his confused features very quickly changed to disbelief. There she was, Belle, sitting on his chair with her arms cross. She had crew members either side of her. "A stow away sir." One of them spoke. "Found her below deck with the cannons." Another one spoke. Hook just stood there starring at the girl. "Clever girl." Hook mumbled, no one had ever snuck on to the Jolly Roger, maybe this defeated girl was in fact and fight woman.
